Materials Engineer

Role Overview

WSP is seeking an experienced Materials Engineer to join the Construction Supervision team on a major Roads & Highways infrastructure project in the Middle East. The successful candidate will oversee all materials-related activities, ensuring compliance with project specifications, quality standards, contract requirements, and industry best practices.

Role Purpose

Lead and manage all materials engineering and quality assurance activities across the project, with responsibility for reviewing and approving materials, supervising testing activities, monitoring compliance, and providing technical guidance to ensure all construction materials meet approved standards and project specifications.

Key Responsibilities

Materials Management & Approval

• Lead and manage all materials engineering and quality assurance activities across the project.
• Review and approve material submittals, technical specifications, suppliers, and manufacturers in accordance with contract requirements.
• Ensure all construction materials comply with approved standards, project specifications, and relevant authority requirements.
• Evaluate sources of construction materials and verify their suitability for project use.

Mix Design & Testing Review

• Review and assess mix designs for asphalt, concrete, treated materials, and other road construction components.
• Supervise material testing activities conducted by contractors and third-party laboratories.
• Review laboratory and field test reports and provide technical recommendations.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Monitor quality control and quality assurance processes to ensure compliance with approved Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs).
• Ensure compliance with contract specifications for earthworks and fill materials, subgrade materials, aggregate materials, asphalt mixes, concrete works, cementitious materials, geosynthetics, road marking materials, safety barrier materials, and drainage and utility materials.
• Monitor compliance with project quality, environmental, health, and safety requirements.

Facility & Source Audits

• Conduct audits and inspections of batching plants, asphalt plants, quarries, borrow areas, and material production facilities.

Documentation & Reporting

• Review Requests for Information (RFIs), technical queries, material approvals, method statements, and contractor submissions.
• Investigate material failures and provide corrective actions and recommendations.
• Prepare technical reports, quality assessments, non-conformance reports (NCRs), and material approval recommendations.

Stakeholder Coordination & Support

• Support the Resident Engineer and Project Management Team in resolving material-related non-conformances and quality issues.
• Coordinate with contractors, laboratories, suppliers, authorities, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Materials Inspectors, Laboratory Technicians, and junior engineering staff.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an accredited university (mandatory). Degree disciplines may include Civil Engineering, Materials Engineering, Construction Engineering, Highway Engineering, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Master's Degree in Materials Engineering, Pavement Engineering, or related field is desirable.
• Professional registration or chartership is advantageous.
• Minimum 15 years of post-graduate professional experience.
• Proven experience working for reputable engineering consultancy firms in construction supervision and/or design supervision environments.
• Demonstrable experience on large-scale roads and highways construction supervision projects.
• Experience managing laboratory testing, material approvals, quality assurance, and contractor compliance.
• Previous GCC or Middle East project experience is highly desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Extensive knowledge of materials engineering principles related to roads and highways construction.
• Strong experience in quality assurance and quality control procedures for transportation infrastructure projects.
• Proven expertise in reviewing and approving material submissions and technical specifications.
• Thorough understanding of laboratory and field testing requirements for road construction materials.
• Experience reviewing and assessing asphalt mix designs, concrete mix designs, pavement materials, earthworks materials, aggregate sources, quarry and borrow pit operations, and material compliance certifications.
• Familiarity with international and regional standards including AASHTO, ASTM, BS EN, and relevant local authority specifications.
• Strong understanding of pavement materials, geotechnical materials, concrete technology, and asphalt technology.
• Ability to identify quality risks and recommend practical engineering solutions during construction.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Effective communication and report writing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders in a complex project environment.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary project teams.